This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us improve the user experience. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our privacy policy to learn more.

Latest Stories

Is it time to ditch your thumb drive?

Q: Our firm wants to provide everyone in our office
with new and larger USB thumb drives to be used for transporting and
sharing data files. Is this a good idea, and, if so, what size and
type should we get?

A: The emergence of cloud-based data storage such as
the free Windows Sky Drive (“Technology
Q&A: A Sky-High Solution,” JofA, Oct. 2011, page
78) is fast making USB thumb drives obsolete. With a cloud-based
solution, your data can be shared securely with anyone on virtually
any computer, tablet or smartphone.

If you are still determined to implement a portable solution, I
recommend that you consider using Secure Digital (SD) cards instead of
thumb drives because SD Cards are easier to keep up with. I’ve
purchased at least 30 USB thumb drives in the past 10 years, but I
currently can account for only six of them. Where did the others go? I
have children in high school and college—that might explain where some
of them went. In all probability, however, several of them have been
lost, misplaced or, perhaps, stolen. Because a USB thumb drive must be
unplugged before transporting a laptop computer, it can be harder to
keep track of.

In contrast, an SD card fits securely in your laptop (or desktop)
computer’s SD card slot and can remain there when transporting your
laptop. Other benefits of SD cards are that they typically cost a
little less than thumb drives, and they can be used in most digital
cameras, cellphones and smartphones. In addition, many SD cards have a
sliding tab that locks the SD card, allowing the files on the SD card
to be read, but not erased. I would recommend 8 gigabyte to 16 GB SD
cards at a minimum, and a quick price check (at pricegrabber.com) shows 8 GB and
16 GB SD cards available starting at $6.17 and $11.49, respectively.